First of all, I want to say I hate snow cause I can't leave my house but anyways. A Direct Box is a high-impedence to low-impedence converter. See a guitar is a high-impedence instrument meaning if it is transferred to a low-impendence input, Alot of high frequency signal is lost destroying the clarity. Most consoles are low-impedence, check your manual for the Roland as see(input: +4db need direct box, if input:-10db no direct box needed). Now if your still wanting to play through the amp and record it with a mic, a direct box is useless. Guitar amps have high-impedence inputs, plus the mic is where the signal is recorded from. A Direct Box is Primarily used when recording straight into a mixer/recorder. Which, if your saying you want a solid clear sound from your guitar. Recording Directing into a console is your best bet. And better if possible record with both direct and amped mic, so you can get that live sound.

About the mics, the SM57 is such a badda** because it has no EQ curve to it. I'll explain. See most mikes, including the Audio-Technica you used before, are made for special purposes so they have certain EQ curve already added. It was probably boosting EQ in places where it doesn't sound good with guitar. The SM57 however has no EQ curve, so whatever you do to the EQ on the mixer, that's the EQ your gonna get. Save the audio-technica for your vocals, I think that is what it is intended for.

About getting that guitar sound like Mark Tremonti or Mike Einziger. Here's the key, your not gonna get their sound just from your amp and guitar and whatever you do when your record. The reason is alot of things, he's probably using completely different equipment, the recording equipment is different, and above all it's been EQ'ed throughout the mixing process. Don't worry I think I can help you, so try going through this list.

First listen to the cd's they are on, see if their using clean/drive/distortion. Apply whichever to the amp your using.

Second listen to the cd while doing this. Mess with the EQ, Gain knobs and get as close as your can to the sound they have. Don't be Fanatical, just get as close to the sound as you can, you'll know when your there.

Third, do the same thing with the mixer or recorder. I am sure the recorder you have has effects you can add to the recorded sound. Use compression, try these setting first, they are what most engineers set for guitar.

Compression Ratio 4:1
Gain Reduction -3db or -4db
Attack Fast, Decay Slow

Now get the EQ and mess with it. I think in the second post I wrote the "target Frequencies" go by that until you get a nice clear solid sound from the guitar amp. You should be able to get very, very close to his sound. Just keep messing with it until you get there, save it once your done cause it may take awhile.

Fourth, your probably gonna record other instruments as well. If so, go through the steps as you did with the guitar on each instrument using the same cd as a refernece point. Although, I don't believe in stealing other peoples art, this technic is a good way to learn how to record.

Have fun.

Also, use noise gate either with effects on recorder if possible or just before going into the recorder.

[Edited by noticingthemistake on 12-28-2002 at 06:00 PM]